Go by the name. Really.
Navigating one of the narrow, bustling alleys in Kala Ghoda, the first time I found Zen Café was by sheer coincidence. A restaurant in the same lane was my scheduled destination but a last-minute engagement got my friend to bail out.
Not in the mood to go back or go inside, I ventured a little further and stopped. A glass door, flanked by black panels, and adjacent floor-to-ceiling windows, stood in quaint vigor. A glimpse inside and I knew I wanted to go in. And so I did.
Over the next many months since, Zen Café has become a favorite. Because it gives me, my space and grub. No questions asked.
Beverages top the chart, no prizes for guessing. I have placed a Salted Caramel Latte next to a Cheese Cruffin and a Cinnabun (don’t question my food choices) with the same confidence as a Summer Veggie and Tofu Rolls with Coconut Avocado Smoothie. They satiate. And on those slightly off days, I have simply walked in and munched on a bun-maska with no eyes judging my silent rage.
I have worked here to no disturbance. I have yapped (softly) here on my phone. But the place is largely tranquil and the team is consistently hands-on. Spread across two levels, I have always been able to get a table here. The seating is comfortable and functional; the aesthetics, calming. The whites and blacks, interjected by the warm yellow of lamps and subdued white of panel lights do good. And I find myself rejuvenated after a stop here.
Go here – for coffees, desserts, smoothies, work and a little halo of zen.
Brownie Points for opening early, at 08.30am.
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Meal for 2: INR 1500
SEEMITA DAS 